Hyderabad Tour

After Rahul’s epic travelogue, I was really hesitant (read scared) to put down my “Experience of Hyderabad Tour” that I had as part of Training at Basix Academy on “Microfinance: Practices, Processes and Risk Management” last week. Anyway, as a senior blogger (hope Rahul will not mind for this self proclaimed designation); I thought I should write something as so many things had happened first time in this tour.

It was three and half day tour (24^th to 28^th June) and we reached Hyderabad on 24^th Night. It was indeed my first travel by Air and frankly speaking I was frightened. The day before the actual journey, late night edition of 9XNews was exclusively carrying a half hour story on recent time aero-plane accidents and believe me every time I was changing my remote, it was getting standstill on that channel only. Hope you can imagine how good sleep I had that night.

The first flight experience in one word: Good. I was terrified when the plan was taking off, I was terrified when the plan was jerking in the mid air and I was terrified when the plane was landing. The smile of the beautiful air hostesses even was not enough to relieve me.So I can’t rate this journey more than “Good”. The come back flight was cool and I guess I am now quite confident for journey by fight.

Ok the real story started at the night when we had reached the Hotel which is almost 30 KMs away from the stunning Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (my senior Darshini from her personal experience shared that this airport is even better than Paris International Airport). First thing I had to do after reaching hotel was to give food to the Vodafone Dog so that it can bark (read: recharge my Vodafone mobile). So I went out from the hotel around 10.30 and I thought recharging of my mobile would be the easiest job in the universe. Coming from Mumbai, it was unimaginable for us to think that a city can be closed at mere 10.30 PM. So first, I went upto 1 KM by walking to right hand direction. It was absolute shocking to see that there was not a single shop open at that time. I thought then that the left side direction would be active as it’s the era of Left (be it IPL, Nuclear Deal or Oil Price reaching 148 dollar, Left are all there). So I went to the left direction and it was truly futile effort. I had to come back to hotel without recharging. The story does not end here. Before leaving the hotel I along with Ravi gave order for Dinner and when I was coming back empty hand, I was appeasing my mind that I will have good time as I had given order of Special Hydrabadi Biriyani. There was no food in the hotel’s room and it was almost 45 min over. Ravi checked to the reception and the famous answer came that the kitchen was closed at 10 and so there was no food (that son of b***h receptionist did not say this at the time when we gave our order). Nothing could have better than this. After disastrous food at the flight (I could not believe how food can be so tasteless at the flight when they are taking so much money), I was terrible hungry and Ravi too. So again I had to come out of hotel with hope (I guess it was greater that Lance Armstrong’s hope) that if any where any thing I get to eat. After 1.5 km walking me saw a bakery shop open and I bought cake and biscuit for my dinner. It was tastier than Biriyani at that time J

The first Day Training was general classroom training on Microfinance, its models and Legal Aspects. It was nothing new for me as I already had little bit exposure. But it was special for me because I could not believe that I was being taught by none other Mr. Shankar Dutta, the Livelihood and Microfinance Expert. It was dream coming true after the lunch when “Father of Indian Microfinance and Livelihood”, Vijay Mahajan Sir came to give us lecture on Bank and Microfinance linkage. He is really superb and I would like to give one example how passionate this man is for development of marginal people. He was telling a real life incident of his own house maid and one boy who collects garbage from his house. Sir wanted that these people should also be part of financial inclusion and they must have account in bank. We spend thousand words and write papers after papers for this financial inclusion. But when it was a simple act (accounts opening of these so called marginal people, so many obstacles, rules, regulations arise and ultimately the sufferer is these people). Without exception, it was not possible for that house maid and that boy to open account.

May be it was plain  incident, but the way Vijay Mahajan Sir was expressing his concerns for these people, it was clearly comprehensible that those words were directly coming from his heart. I was really wondering that a man like his stature (who has nothing to gain) is still so energetic; his eyes spark when he talks about these people. Salute Sir!!

The next day was supposed to be the field visit and it was in a place called Vidar which is district headquarter of District Vidar, Karnataka. The journey to Vidar from Hydrabad was excellent (Darshini please don’t mind, those Kishore Kumar’s songs were amazing). I was really missing those IIFM Field Trip days when similarly in a Zeep or similar kind of vehicle, we five people used to travel the country roads of Karnataka along with forest officials. The mood in the vehicle used to be much dramatic with Abhishek’s witty remarks, real mock fight between Vaibhav and Kalpana and Shweta’s act of reconciliation aunty. “Jane Kahan gaye woh din”!!

The journey was good till the time when actually we realized that we were being directed by a Hyperactive Human Being who had lost his way to the place where we supposed to spend that night. Shrey, Getting lost is not good all the time specially when you are lost not because of you but because of a third person whom you are not liking. I can’t count how many times our Quails driver took “U Turn” that night. Finally we discovered that place and I must say it was beautiful Guest House. Actually it was Guest House cum Training Center of DCCB, Vidar. The dinner served that night was amazing.

Next day was hectic and we had to cover and see the microfinance operation being run by NGOs (Pawardha), MFIs (Nirantara and NKRDS) and Bank (DCCB, Vidar) at the same time. It was incredible to see those women with much confidence and smile in the group meeting of SHGs as well groups formed by MFIs. That part of Karnataka has much higher penetration of Microfinance operation because of the influence of adjacent “Microfinance Mecca of India” Andhra Pradesh and it was first time for me to see the cross borrowing by borrowers (One Borrowers borrowing from different MFIs). I guess it has both advantage as well disadvantages and its upto the MFIs to decide that whether they are feeding to those whose stomach are already filled or still hungry. It was also first time for me to see the Community Based Microfinance Institutions (GMASS) where community members themselves have built MFI out of their need and few women who were once mere borrowers have made into the board of the MFI.  

The returning journey was nothing special except for Darshini who might not forget those songs that our Driver played at the end of our Journey. It was awesome CD produced by Great Gulshan Kumar of T-Series. The songs were supposed to be for the broken heart and broken souls but the dialogues, in between the songs, were so hilarious that even every broken soul will might burst out in laugh J

We retuned hotel around mid night after breathtaking dinner at a Dhaba whose name was “International Dhaba” J

The last day was normal classroom teaching and finally it was over by 4.30 PM. Our fight was at 9 and so we had time to see the “Charminar”. It was nothing exceptional and I did really not like that throng there. We returned to hotel at 6 PM and Checked out to catch Radio Cab for airport at 6.30.

The Return from the Hyderabad was cool. Over all it was good experience minus Hyderabadi Biriyani. Please Curse me for the reason that I did not  eat “Hyderabadi Biriyani” in Hyderabad L

Rocking Weekend..

This weekend was rocking - full masti with seniors in their flat at Sion.

Initially  I was reluctant to go to this get together ( I guess over the period I have developed a perfect skill of saying NO to every thing that comes under sun firstly and Ravi n Gitesh might be realizing this very harshly ). Anyway a call from someone made my mood and I went there along with Atul, Gitesh n Ravi ( Forget about the road Bhool Bhulaiya ).

Meeting with the seniors almost after one year is always refreshing as more so with this gang in Sion because of their warm attiutde.  I must say even before entering their flat, the smell of chicken coming was equally heart mingling.

Apart from the chicken, there was “The Great Rajiv Singh”, whose unique accent, style as well as leg pulling were enjoyable by the same token.

Is it all..obviously not. How this party can be completed without great OLD MONK…so Old Monk ruled and we had blast… Long Live Old Monk…Long Live Party !!

Immature Thought

Supremacy!! Huh…..

No mater what it is, every child is out of the ordinary to parents. Every parent thinks their child to be the Best.

Can you become that much pretty what a father or mother perceives about his or her child?

Even a mother of thief thinks that her son is innocent and most humble  in the world.

Can you incorporate that much goodness in you what this mother thinks about her son?

According to you the person is ugly. He or She does not know any fashion statement.

Can you be that much beautiful when this most ugly (according to you) carenesses his/her hair in front

of the mirror and think about his/her beauty?

Suppose a child has created some childlike crime and now he thinks that everybody will rebuke him.

He took shelter in his Mother’s Lap.

Can you become that much powerful when this “Crime” committed child takes protection in his mother’s lap

and think of security?

One day a child gets One Rupee from his parents and they have ordered him to buy anything.

Can you be richer than a child who gets Rs. 1 from his/her parents to buy anything he/she wants?

 

If you can not, then why this false pretension to be “Supreme”?

Negative Area, Muslim, Ghoragacha and Mumbra

I was going through the mails of Members of Solution Exchange Forum and suddenly came across a mail by Dr. Arabinda Mitra. I remember that he was my teacher in Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (B.C.K.V) where I did my Graduation in Agriculture. Sir is from Department of Agril. Economics. I was curious to see that Sir has been associated with SHGs Movement in a remote village called “Ghoragacha” which was close to B.C.K.V. So I decided to write a mail to Sir and asked about the details. Sir was kind enough to reply me back the very next day and after going through his mail, I was surprised and excited too.

I am reproducing below Sir’s mail

“I shall write in brief here about the Self Help Groups of Ghoragacha. We started an informal school at Ghoragacha, a nearby village to Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Benagl to educate the farmers about practices of agriculture. The school was funded and supported by UPL Company. This was the first kind of school in India. Later this model has been replicated by state government, central government and others. This type of school was set up in many states. I was associated with the school from the very beginning. The philosophy of such school and mode of operation was mooted in the department of agricultural Economics. In fact I was heading the department that time. We included Farm management and cost aspects in the curriculum of the school.

One day I was listening to the lecture delivered by Dr.H.Sen (Agronomy). He was telling about OL (elephant foot.). I was astonished to see high return from OL. At the end of lecture I asked about 60 learners whether they are prepared to grow ol in the coming season. Only two hands were raised. Upon questioning I came to know that to harvest one bigha of ol- it requires at least Rs.20,000 /,which these people can not bear. Then I asked for financial support from banks or other sources. I found that this particular village is blacklisted. UBI (Jaguli) branch or the Co-operatives are not willing to give loan to them. It is very difficult to take loan from local money lenders. They charge more than 50% per annum. The farmers were really poor. Their source of income was only from land. The positive thing was that they are most efficient farmers in the region.

I asked them I am sorry that today are not in apposition to cultivate ol. But in the coming years you can grow more valuable crops, if you are united and stand by yourself with out depending upon external source. They agreed. I stared with the lessons of forming SHGs. Ultimately they did. More than 30 Shgs are in operation in this village. Women have formed SHGs. It was also my challenge as because this village is 100% dominated by Muslims.

Today I am proud that they are cultivating the most valuable crops ,viz, Guava. This has become the second Baruipur. People are happy. With development of SHGs there have been tremendous social and economic changes. Banks are now coming to lend money. Upon evaluation they told me that money lenders are not seen in the areas. Now, they put the question” Sir, what we will do with money. We have money and now need other things to be done by us”. Those SHGs are not dependent on any external organizations. They have built up themselves. They are running in their own ways. I was with them for constant two years. Then I left to see whether they can do themselves or not. The thing is that they can. Results of Shgs at Ghoragacha have been visited by many scholars”

Sir’s mail reminds me about the place “Mumbra”, a sub urban town in outer Mumbai. It is also considered as Negative Area and thats why No Bank gives loan to people of Mumbra. The interest rate was as high as 10% per month. Ironically both Ghoragacha and Mumbra are dominated by Muslim People. Then I searched internet and came to know many Muslim areas are considered as Negative Area and if one area has been tagged as Negative area, then nobody really takes the pain to look into whether it is right to continue the trend or not years after years. I could not figure out the reason.

Do Muslim are so risky for lending? Is there anything to do with their religion with lending money?

Godhra and Nandigram: The dreadful similarity

Nandigram, once a blue dot in the Map of India is now the attention of the world for a very wrong reason. “Wrong” may be incorrect word as if you do wrong, you may have chance to rectify it. But the case is absolutely different.  The wrong CPM did or is doing has no rectification. It’s an absolute horrifying. If Godhra is shame for Narendra Modi, Nandigram is a disgrace for Mr. Budhhadeb Bhattacharya. The blot of blood is clearly visible in the high flying CPM flags over Nandigram. It’s a clear case of Murder; Cold blooded one. If Godhra was genocide, then what Nandigram is? Killing, raping and torturing people only because they protest your decision. Does Mr. Chief Minister have any answer? The way the police was used in 14^th March to kill the innocent people and now the party cadres: Mr. Budhhadeb is really King Nero who is just seeing the “Firing” (Read Killing) sitting in his party office. May be Mr. Chief Minister was busy in writing “Drama” that time. He is very cultural you know!It is also shameful the way some intellectuals [(Really the term is very interesting, in Bengali it means “Buddhi-jibi”, but now it has changed to “Buddho-Jibi”(means very loyal to Mr. Buddhodeb)] like Actors, Writes and others are supporting CPM. It is true that others like Aparna Sen or Rituporno Sen has boycotted the ongoing film festival as to show their protest, but the majority of Intellectuals are really has become  “Buddho-Jibi”.It was also frustrating to see the hell politics at the national level. CPM is part of UPA and that’s why Central Government keeping their mouth silent. Prime Minister needs CPM for Nuclear Deal and CPM is not wasting any chance to let it down. Soon after Nandigram, the party politburo has given green signal the PM to talk with IEAE. It means that the Centre will not say any words to Budhhadeb or West Bengal CPM. Absolutely ridiculous. Game of power costing the innocent’s life!  Both BJP in Gujarat and CPM in WB: The face is so identical when the mask goes of. The way both party targeted the high court’s decision or the comment of Honorable Governor; I did not see any difference. Again you see how both Modi and Budhhadeb are getting the support of the corporate sector. No matter how heinous job they have done, the corporate are happy with “Brand Budhha” (or for that matter for “Brand Gujarat”) and thus Nandigram is “some other thing” for them. Will these corporate people ever shoe some real social responsibility?

Mumbai Experience: Part II

Things you should not miss in Mumbai. Mumbai is miracle, unpredictable and really uncanny city. Though there are lot of things are worth mentioning, let me zeroed upon few things which I feel worth mentioning.
First one is Bada Pav. I think if you are in Mumbai, how much you try to escape from this thing simply you can not. Its the sole of all food. The very Indian Response to American Burger. See the business volume. Let’s do a simple calculation: One Bada Pav seller sell on an average 400 bada pav each day in both morning and evening times. He/She charges Rs5 for each Bada Pav. So sell is Rs 2000. Now what could be the cost? Rs 2.50 will be enough including material cost, BMC tax, local police tax and Local “Bhai” tax. So net profit per day is about Rs.1000. So earning per month Rs.30000/. One who is selling Bada Pav, does not sell only Bada Pav. So profit from other things also can be around Rs.5000.So monthly net profit around Rs.35000.
Chain of Bada Pav centre in all bus stands and all stations: Can be a good option after MBA (only competitor is “Jumbo King”)
The next best thing to experience is Mumbai Local Train. Yes, you may wonder what the specialty in train journey is. It’s not tram or metro trains. So what makes Mumbai local train so famous? This question will have one answer “Come and Experience” .
Morning 7 am to 11 am and in the evening 5 pm to 8 pm come to any station, be it central line, suburban line, harbour line :  any thing and try to get up. If you are successful to reach your destination “Sahi Salamat” then I think you should buy one lottery ticket that moment. Because you can not be more privileged than that moment. I have seen the crowd in train in Kolkata, but Mumbai is unbelievable and incomparable. So its better to experience than to listen.

“Cutting Chai” and “Puri” (Chart). Do not know why it is called “cutting” but undoubtedly very tasty and a must after Bada Pav. The so many of “Puri” are also worth tasting. “Bhel Puri”, “Pani Puri”,”Sewai Puri” etc. Its better to take these sort of things in Juhu Beach or Chowpatti Beach. The “Golas” in the beach are also Lifetime Experiences.

Fashion Street. Huh, you may love or hate shopping but you should at least go once to Fashion Street. So many shops, so may types of clothes, so much excitements : who says “Malls are future of India”?. I suspect you will say “Ghar nahi jayoongi main” (ad-line of Water Kingdom, wing of Essel World) after seeing this.

There are so many things to mention but whatever it is Mumbai always rocks for these things and will be rocking forever.

“Come and Have Experience” can be ad-line by Maharashtra State Tourism Department for Mumbai.

The Mumbai Jewellery Workers: A harsh reality

The buildings are as old as the places. Dirty, no proper drainage system in the place, unhygienic. The people are living in such inhuman conditions. At least 10-15 peoples are sharing their place of living in a 7 by 6 feet room. All are working with fire. The fan can not be run as it will disturb in thier works. This 7 by 6 feet room is all for these 15 peoples, it is their work place, bathroom and more importantly kitchen room. The cooking is being done on Gas dangerously (any day it can burst as there is no proper check up) without any proper system of security. In amidst of 15 peoples, at least 7-8 are child ageing between 10- 12. This is the world of Jwellery Workers.

A huge number of these workers migrant from the states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar are working in Mumbai for their livelihood in Jwellery Industry. You go to Zaveri bazar, Dahisar, Nalasopara and many others place, these people are very much there working from 11 am to 12 am or may be more in so inhuman condition.

“INDIA is the largest consumer of gold in the world to be followed by China and Japan. India is emerging as world’s largest trading centre of this commodity with a target of US$ 16 billion set for 2010″

You may be carried out with the glitz and  dazzle with gold jewelery but will never be able to understand the dark underbelly of the society.

No code of conduct of work, child labour, exploitation, unhygienic condition all are very much in this places. Most of the workers having bad health as they are always exposed to such condition. Above all many workers work with toxic chemicals, acids which causes health hazards like cough, irritation in throat, gastroenteritis, vomiting, wheezing and anorexia. Toxic fume when gold is soldered even can cause Cancer at latter stage.

Still people are working here and making India largest center of tarding.

Anybody will do something for these people?

Water Kingdom Experience

“Ghar nahi jayoongi”, the ad-line goes like this, though it may be too much aggravation of happiness but the fun, the joy, the ambiance really make you to stick round the place. Welcome to the wonderland “Water Kingdom”. Water Kingdom is the Asia’s Largest Theme Water Park.

On a fine Sunday (21st October) I was in this beautiful place. Initially when I saw the ticket price of Rs. 500 and that is for to play in water, I was wondering whether it was going to be childish act. But after the whole day’s experience, when someone become literally “Child” in water, then I thought it was not childish. The fun, the Joy, the rides: in one word Amazing

The rides are really adventurous and it requires Brave Heart I must say. I got injury in the very first ride and thus lost brave heart to take all the ride. So I had to escape some really dangerous rides. But I enjoyed most in the “Dance Floor”. The floor with latest chart busters and the water coming in sprinklers: Great Atmosphere. Perfect “Dancing in the Rain”. In one hand you are trembling in cold and on the other hand Shaking your Legs. The Swimming Pool at the entrance was also fantastic and well decorated too.

It was also kind of revelation on the part of our society. India is changing, theres much openness in the crowd there. The rising economy with increasing spending power making these theme parks, (or say malls) really successful.

Random Updates…

Time is flying like superfast train and I am not been able to catch it. Futile efforts to make myself adapt into it. Do not know how much success will come in future. But eyes still on big dreams, though dreams are still dreams.

It seems that I have come to campus just few days back.  But the situation is like that I can count the number of remaining days in campus with my fingers.

Time dear and This is Life…..goes on and on…..

So many things have happened since my last regular blog post. Life has taught its few lessons and it seems that I am growing to mature. I have seen so many relations breaking as well as making, both.

The degree of responsibility for Soumi has become much more then before. Its has become very hard to imagine life without her. Much more commitment. It could be because of her also. The kind of dependency she has shown over the periods, its really something i will never forget. I think that I have been able to support her in her those traumatize days which are still continuing erratically . Hey Bhagwan..when these days will be over?

On personal front I have become more attached with nature. The urge to do something for it was never like this before. I really wonders every new things of nature.

One Saturday early morning I went to a famous Temple (Bhojpur Shiva Temple which is about 50 km away from campus) with my batch mates (Abhishek, Jitendra and Siddhartha). It was life time experience. The morning mist, the fragrance of pure air still within me. Those beautiful landscape still on my eyes. If you traveling Bhopal and staying overnight, then please visit the Temple in morning hours. You will not curse me I bet.

The love for nature also triggered me to go Uttaranchal for OT and I tried for it. But it was not materialized.

I have also become passionate about another thing . The “Click”. Yes photography. I wish I could capture people in any situation.

What else!!

Updates upto this. Waiting for Second OT. Lets hope I get good project.

Read and See Bhoj Temple